Russia launches homemade TikTok alternative

State-owned media conglomerate Gazprom Media has launched "Yappy," a Russian alternative to TikTokplay.google.com

Russia’s leading media conglomerate has launched a domestic rival to the hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok as Russia’s campaign to reduce the influence of foreign websites and technology advances.

Gazprom Media, a subsidiary of state-owned gas giant Gazprom, launched the service, named “Yappy,” on Monday. It is currently available to download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The app began beta testing in September, with early access given to 300 bloggers ahead of Monday’s full launch. The service has a number of similar functions to TikTok and is based on sharing short vertical video clips of up to 60 seconds in length.

TikTok is among the five most popular social media platforms in Russia with 40 million monthly users, according to media analytics company Mediascope.